New Zealand is facing a lot as the fire in the country has destroyed lives. Wildfires have damaged dozens of homes in New Zealand, authorities gave information on Monday, stating that it was a miracle no one was hurt when “a wall of orange” descended on a remote South Island village. The flames began in a mountain forest early Sunday morning and, fanned by strong winds, swept through the village of Lake Ohau, forcing citizens to escape for their lives. “The high winds meant the fire could not yet be contained and the situation may change rapidly with any shift in the wind,” Fire and Emergency wing of New Zealand said.

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It stated that up to 50 structures were demolished and conditions continued to be “challenging” on Monday, with 11 helicopters and nine fire crews trying to restrain the sparks. Waitaki District mayor Gary Kircher said the tiny Lake Ohau community had been destroyed. “Of the 60 or 70 houses, we believe that the majority have gone,” he said to Radio New Zealand. “The reality is that it’s a minor miracle no one has been harmed. If it had been anther 15-20 minutes it would have been a very different story.” Kircher described how residents awoke to find an inferno bearing down on them.

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“I talked to a gentleman who got up to his dog (barking) in the early hours, opened his door and there was this wall of orange,” he said. He further added, “He was the one that set off the town fire alarm and helped to wake people... there’s certainly some scary tales about how close it came to being an absolute disaster with fatalities.” Wildfires are relatively common on the South Island at this time of the year but the scale and intensity of the Ohau fire have been unusual.

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